Arizona ballot measure · November 3, 2026

Arizona Proposition 318, explained

School sports and locker rooms by sex at birth. A ballot measure is a yes-or-no question put directly to voters — no candidate is involved, and the wording on the ballot is the wording that becomes law. This page shows that wording first, then what it actually changes.

The official wording

REQUIRES ALL SCHOOLS AND ATHLETIC ASSOCIATIONS TO DESIGNATE ATHLETIC TEAMS AS MALE, FEMALE, OR COED BASED ON THE BIOLOGICAL SEX OF THE ATHLETES AS DEFINED AT BIRTH; PROHIBITS THESE ENTITIES FROM AUTHORIZING USE OF PRIVATE SPACES NOT DESIGNATED FOR A PERSON'S SEX. A "yes" vote shall have the effect of: (1) requiring private schools, public schools, and athletic associations to designate every athletic team as male, female, or coed/mixed based on sex and to prevent males from joining female teams; existing law imposes this requirement only on public schools and those competing against them; (2) prohibiting schools and athletic associations from authorizing anyone to use private spaces (such as restrooms) not designated for that individual's sex; (3) defining "sex" as an individual's biological status as male or female as recorded at birth on an original birth certificate; and (4) authorizing athletes to sue schools and athletic associations that knowingly violate this law. A "no" vote shall have the effect of maintaining the current laws relating to student athletics.

This is what appears on the ballot. Everything below explains it.

What it actually means

Arizona law already requires public schools, and schools that compete against them, to keep girls' teams for students who are female. This measure extends that rule to all private schools, colleges and athletic associations, including intramural sports, defines sex as recorded on an original birth certificate, and bars athletes from using locker rooms, restrooms and showers tied to athletics that do not match that sex.

If you vote YES

All public and private schools, higher education institutions and athletic associations would have to designate interscholastic and intramural teams as male, female or coed, and keep males off female teams.
Sex would be defined as biological status recorded at birth on an original birth certificate.
Schools and associations could not allow anyone to use athletic restrooms, locker rooms or showers not designated for their sex.
Athletes could sue schools and athletic associations that knowingly violate the law, and the measure would be titled the Protect Girls' Sports in Arizona Act.

If you vote NO

Current Arizona law would remain, requiring sex-designated teams only for public schools and schools that compete against them.
Private schools, intramural programs and athletic associations not covered by current law would keep setting their own policies, including on locker room and restroom use.

The numbers that matter

Vote needed: Simple majority
Fiscal estimate: None published

Why supporters say YES

Male physical advantages after puberty in bone density, muscle mass and lung capacity mean girls lose roster spots, podium finishes and scholarships, and face safety risks in contact sports, when males compete in girls' divisions.
— Official argument for, by Peter Gentala, President, and Leisa Brug, VP of Advocacy, Center for Arizona Policy
Clear statewide rules protect privacy in locker rooms and showers and give schools a consistent standard, without criminal penalties or regulation of private youth sports.
— Official argument for, by Thomas J. Bouman, attorney, Tucson

Why opponents say NO

Arizona already bans transgender athletes from public school girls' sports; this blanket expansion ignores age, level and type of sport, invites gender checks on any girl who seems too tall or too strong, and opens schools and coaches to lawsuits.
— Official argument against, by Darrell Hill, Director of Policy, ACLU of Arizona
The measure applies the same rules to kindergarteners and college athletes and could lead to girls being examined or shamed to prove their sex.
— Official argument against, by Melinda Iyer and Catherine Sigmon, Co-Directors, Civic Engagement Beyond Voting

What’s genuinely uncertain

How schools would verify sex as recorded on an original birth certificate, and how often disputes would lead to lawsuits under the new right to sue, is not addressed in the official summaries.
Supporters' filed arguments include the Center for Arizona Policy and Protect Girls Sports in AZ; opponents include the ACLU of Arizona, the League of Women Voters of Arizona and Will of the People.

The bottom line

A single sex-at-birth rule for all school sports and athletic facilities, against a broader ban that applies to all ages and invites disputes and lawsuits over students' sex.

One neutral sentence describing the tradeoff — not a recommendation.

Sources:azsos.gov apps.azsos.gov apps.azsos.gov azleg.gov

Checking it against the official text

The Arizona Secretary of State publishes the certified measures and, in most states, an official voter guide with fiscal notes. That is the authoritative version. Everything here is an explanation of it, not a substitute for it.

Confirm this with the official source

Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Arizona Secretary of State.

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